2006-10-27 - Basic Beliefs

Part 8 - Based on The Apostle's Creed

"Who (Christ) was crucified, dead and buried."

Today we continue in our series of examining our basic Christian beliefs (as found in the Apostles' Creed), by tracking down the Scriptures they are based on.

Verses are all from Mark 15 - all from the New International Version:

²² They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. ... ³⁴ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." ³⁶ One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said. ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last....

Some skeptics have thrown doubt on the resurrection of Christ by claiming that He didn't actually die. They speculate that perhaps He was simply unconscious or that the disciples fabricated the story of Jesus rising from the dead - to help propagate their belief system. But the Bible clearly states that Jesus died an Earthly death, "...breathed His last."

⁴² It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.

But here we have an independent witness - a public safety official, who confirmed Jesus' death.

⁴⁶ So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Additional proof of His death is provided in verses 46-47. The burial traditions were carried out. His body was anointed with spices and wrapped in linen. And the tomb was sealed. Even if all the witnesses were wrong and Christ was still alive when put in the tomb, He would have suffocated eventually.

So we find that there is unequivocal Biblical backup for this belief of Christ's death.

To be continued on 11-10-2006.

Comments or Questions?
Jan

cfdevcfpray@yahoo.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org